Automatic control valve



Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,591

G. H. BUGENHAGEN AUTOIATIC CONTROL VALVE Filed laxch 24. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 kaz af fwf INVENTOR ATTORNEY Aug.' 14, 1928.

G. H. BUGENHAGEN AUrolA'x-Ic common vALvx Filed lax-ch 24, 1927 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 ja w.

QN! Il w21-WM Arrorme'v lll Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITEDV STATES GEORGE E. BUGENHAGEN, OF MINOT, NOI-BTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL VALVE.

Application led March 24, 1927.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic control valves. The object of my improvements are; First, to provide a thermostatic controlled control valve for radiators, such as used in heating buildings, simple in construction and adaptable in that one or more installations can easily be made. Second. to provide a valve that receives its power to operate from the heatv used in the radiator. Third, to provide a control valve so simple that expert mechanics are not necessary in itsinstallation.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a cross section of the entire assembly, Y ,Y i

Fig. 2 is a plan view and Fig. 3 an enlai-ged view and partial section, showing the solenoids and switch, with mechanism` to operate the governing valve in its control of the automatic control valve.

Similar numerals referto, similar parts, throuout the several views.

Theparts 1--13-17 constitute the body and housing of the valve-to which is connected a nipple-2, and union leading to a radiator. 3 is a supply pipe for steamor hot water supplied tothe valve.-

The valve seat 4 is rovided with a valve disc 5 and removably xed to the lvalve stem 6. The valve stem 6i, is sealed in lits movements by the liexible metallic bellows 7 fixed and sealed at its free. endto theivalve dise-5 and at the` fixodend to a guide disc 8, thus preventing the escape of steam onthe letting in of air under a vacuum. To the lupper end ot' valve'stem' 6; isY connected a power motor metallic bellows by means of a disc 9 fixed and sealed to bellows 10 and the valve stem 6, the fixed end of bellows 10 is fixed and sealed to disc 12, which is removably connected between the body parts 13-17 as shown. Between the disc 8 and 9 is positioned a compression spring 11 for the purpose of lifting the valve disc 5 from the seat 4 when the pressure within the bellows 10 subsides.

The flexible bellows reservoir 14 has the upper end fixed and sealed to a disc 15 and said disc 15 is fixed to the housing 17. The lower end of bellows 14 is' fixed and sealed to disc 16, said disc has a valve seat 22 and is stayed in a fixed position to the disc 15 by the two stay rods 18 as shown. The valve seat 22 is provided with a spiral duct 20 Serial No. 177,986.

leading downward to the power motor bellows end 12 and extends downward into the by 26 and pivotal-ly connected to piston 29 by the axle pin 28, said piston movably mounted in the guide 39 and: actuated by electrical force in the solenoid coils 31 and 32 respectively, as effected. by the mercury switch 33; said switch breaking circuit at 36 in the Yposition shown .in Fig. 3 and at 37 when the toggle27 is in. a vertical position as shown in Fig. 4. The circuit 38 being the hot; wire and wires 34e-35 the control circuits from a thermostat` used in connection with the valve. Referring to Fig. 3,

Ywhen the thermostat closes the .circuit for wire 34 the solenoid 31 is magnetized. and core is drawn outward into the' magnetizedV field 31 causing piston 29 to force the rocker arm upwardV and the valve 21 firmly into the valve seatv22 and at the same time reverse the angle of tilt for the mercury switch 33 as shown in Fig. 4 so, that circuit A37l will be broken andi 36 in contact ready for the reversal when the thermostat contact is made in Icircuit :.A

Referring to; F ig.'4,.the thermostat element 40 is affected by temperature changes so that it moves laterally to the position shown by dotted lines 41, thus making contact with the terminals 42-43 for the wires 34-35 respectively as shown. The desired temperature difference between the extreme low and high is fixed by the adjustment of contact points 42-43.

A volatile liquid with a boiling point preferably less than that of water, and in sufiicient quantity to produce the required pressure is sealed within the bellows 10, 14 and the communicating ducts and when vaporized or boiled causes a pressure within the power motor bellows 10 and forces the valve disc 5 down tight to the valve seat 4.

In operation, the drawing shows the automatie `control valve closed; in this position the volatile liquid has been converted into a steam or vapor in the generating tube 6, now surrounded by live steam. A pressure is exerted against the lower end-of the bellows 10 and conveyed by the valve stem to the valve seat 4. To open the valve, the ther-` tube 6 prevented. Thus, with a constant lessenin-g of vaporized volatile liquid as it accumulates in the trap, pressure is gradually reduced 'and Athe valve is correspondinglfy'opened'bythe force of the compression springl-l, until all volatile liquid is trapped 'and the valve 'fullyopened When the thermostat makes contact of the terminal for wire .35, the overning valve 22-is opened again, the vo' til'e liquid allowed to flow down vinto the-'1 generating tube and there agaihgenerated fintosteam, causing the valve to'clos'e as before. Theval've normally remains open for all room ltemperatures below the maximum temperature de'sred, closing -only 'when the roomitemperatreexceeds the maximum.

I um aware that automatic control valves Yoperated with compressed air, are on the market, but not tomy knowledge isrny combination used andV I thereforev claim as follows;

l1. The combination inan automatic control va'lve, a hollow valve stem generating tube, apower motor-consisting of -a Hexible metallic bellows, sea-led within saidl lell'o'ws a ,volatile liquid, free end'. of said bellows-l connected to valve'stem, withfafflerrible` metallic reservoir vpositioned above 'and apart* -rom said power motor bellowe,"aigoverning ivalve positioned within said-'reserve and operative y imm-nsy outside ofthe saidreservoir- The reservoir connected to motor bellows by a spiral heat eliminating duct and condensation return, leading from valve seat in reservoir to motor bellows ai'd a secondary duct leading frem=motor bellows into the top of the reservoir.

2. The VYcombination in an automatic control valve, a hollow valve stem generating tube, connected to said tube a power motor bellows and sealed within said power motor bellows a volatile liquid, a reservoir with a governing valve within, positioned above the power motor and ducts leading from the valve seat in the reservoir and also from the top of the reservoir down to the power motor bellows, with an electric control mechanism consisting of twoindependently operated solenoids surrounding -`a metallic piston, said solenoids controlled by a. mercury switch, and means for operating the aforesaid governing valve within the Ireservoir, all Substantially as set forth.

I3. The combination in an automatic control valve, with a valve -sealed by a flexible metallic bellows and means for closing said valveby powerv generated from the heat supplied to Ethe radiator, means containing a volatile-liquid in a hermeticall-y'sealed ilexible power motor bellows, the free end of which being attached'tovalve and operated therewith, means for bringing 'the volatile liquid in contact Awith the heat supplyto the radiator andtoconvert Said volatile liquid into vapoin Means for condensing said vapor #and trapping 'the'co'ndensation thereof kin a container 'above 1and apart from the power motor with ducts 'leading to said motor,

means velectrically -l' p'eratedJ for opening andV closing the valve insa'idt'rap to release or jre'tain the` volatiley liquidi,- and operation thereof 'subject to the thermostat control, means toibreakthe'curreiitincidental to operation in opening or closing of governing valve asfs'oonas-operation thereof is completed. l

oponen BUGENHAGEN. 

